Folding chair construction



P 3, 1934. H. o. KLEE FOLDING CHAIR CONSTRUCTION Filed March 29, 1953 lm/enfor 7 Henry 0. hlee Afforn e51 Patented Apr. 3, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT QF'FIQE 6 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in folding chair constructions and has for its primary object the provision of a light, inexpensive construction having adequate rigidity.

Other objects reside in the combination and arrangements of parts as will be more fully set forth in the description.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figs. 1 and 2 are side and front elevations, re

spectively, of a folding chair constructed according to the present invention.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the construction.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged perspective views of details of the construction.

Having reference to the drawing, an inverted U-shape channel frame member 1 constituting the supporting frame for the back 2 is comprised of front leg portions 3-4. A U-shape channel member 5, of which the rear leg portions are a part thereof, is pivoted at 8 to the member 1. The rear legs 6-"! are extended at 9-10 beyond the pivots 8 and are pivoted to and support the front portion of the seat 11 at 12. A beam 13 supports the rearportion of the seat 11 and guides the seat into the plane of the frame when the chair is folded up.

To increase the rigidity of the entire structure as well as the point of pivot, the frames 1-5 include as parts thereof channel members 14-15 which are telescoped into the leg members 3-4-6-7 of the frames. The channel member 14 is provided with overhanging portions 16 which are deflected into contact with the web of the leg 7 as shown in Fig. 3 and spot welded or otherwise secured thereto. Portions of the web of the channel 15 are removed at 17-18 to per- 40 mit the side of the channel 15 to be readily spot welded or otherwise secured in the frame 1 as at 19. Preferably, the removal of material at 1'? results in a supporting edge or surface 20 which is considered as constituting a part of the frame 1 in defining the scope of the invention in the l appended claims. As shown, the edge 29 is angularly disposed relative to the longitudinal axis of the channel, but is located in a horizontal plane with the frame 1 in the position shown in Fig. 1.

The pivot 8 as shown consists in a rivet 21 journaled at 22-23-24-25 throughout its length in the telescoping channel members. Preferably, the transverse rigidity of the construction is provided by tying in both the frames 1 and 5 by a 55 tie rod 26 acting through the rivet 21. A washer 2'? or the like spaces the frames 1-5 and provides a suitable bearing surface. Obviously, other types of securing means may be used instead of rivets 21 Without departing from the scope of my invention. It will be readily apparent that the foregoing described construction reinforces and stiffens the chair in the locality of greatest stress during use and provides an adequately supported pivot for the frames 1-5.

In Figs. 3, 5, and 6, the beam 13 for support ing and guiding the rear portion of the seat 11 is shown as passed through an L-shaped aperture 28 located in the side of the seat 11 constituted as a rolled flange 29; the beam being spot welded or otherwise secured to the under side of 7,0 the seat 11 to prevent relative movement. For guiding and supporting the rear portion of the seat 11; the ends of the beam 13 are notched at 30 in the manner shown in Fig. 3. With the chair unfolded as shown in Fig. 1, the notched portion 30 fits over the edge 20 to support the rear portion of the seat 11. Tongue portions 31 formed by the notching at the ends of the beam 13 are preferably constructed with rounded ends 32 to cam over the edges 20 into position if the frame 1 becomes slightly spread.

The inner edge 33 of the portion 31 is sub stantially vertical and presents a shoulder which is adapted to abut a resisting surface presented by the web of the channel 15 adjacent the supg5 porting edge 20 to securely tie the side member of the frame 1 to obviate spreading or racking of the same; as in the case of the surface or edge 20, the part of the web of the channel 15 with which the edge 33 is adapted to abut is considered as constituting a part of the frame 1 in defining the scope of the invention in the appended claims. With the beam 13 in the supporting position the upper part of the angle substantially fills the inside of the channel 1 avoiding looseness; however, upon folding the chair the end of the beam 13 will be guided up the channel 1 as shown in Fig. 5 and as the beam 13 rotates about the pivot 12 as a center, it will be partially rotated within the channel 1 to reduce the overall projection of the beam 13 upon a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the channel 1 thus effecting a degree of looseness betweenthe ends of the beam 13 and the channel member 1 which eliminates binding and facilitates the folding and unfolding of the chair. To impart further transverse rigidity to the construction the front legs 3-: are braced by a cross member 34.

The triangular transverse bracing frame constituted by the bracing and supporting through 110 said the pivot 8 as one member, the locking action of the beam 13 with the edge 20 as another member, and through the front portion, of the seat 11 as a third member, taken in combination with the frames 15, results in imparting a rigidity to the construction which has not been herebefore accomplished in folding chairs. With this construction the gage of the material herebefore used may be materially reduced Without sacrifice of adequate strength and rigidity witha corresponding reduction in the cost of production and increase in lightness.

Having described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a folding chair construction, the combination with an inverted U-shaped channel frame constituting the back portion and front legs, of a U-shaped channel frame constituting rear legs pivoted to said first frame and adapted to fold into the plane thereof, channel sections telescoping into said channel frames at the points of pivot to form box sections, members about which said frames pivot journaled in said box sections, the upper portion of said second frame extending beyond said pivots, a seat pivotedly supported at the front portion on the ends of said upper portion, a transverse member fixedly secured to the rear portion of said seat extending beyondthe sides thereof into and guided by the sides of said first frame for guiding said seat into the plane of said first frame upon folding, said member being notched at the ends, the upper ends of said channel sections located in said first frame constituting supporting edges for receiving said notched ends to support said seat in an unfolded state.

2. In a folding chair construction, the combi nation with a channel frame constituting the back portion and front legs, of a second channel frame constituting rear legs pivoted to said first frame and adapted to fold into the plane thereof, channel sections telescoping into said channel frames at the points of pivot to form box sections, members about which said frames pivot journaled in said box sections, the upper portion of second frame extending beyond said pivots, a seat pivotedly supported at the front portion on the ends of said upper portion, a transverse member fixedly secured to the rear portion of said seat extending beyond the sides thereof into and guided by the sides of said first frame for guiding said seat into the plane of said first frame upon folding, said member being notched at the ends, the upper ends of said channel sections located in said first frame constituting supporting edges for receiving said notched ends to support said seat in an unfolded state.

3. In a folding chair construction, the combina tion with a frame constituting the back portion and front legs, of a second frame constituting rear legs pivoted tosaid first frame and adapted to fold into the plane thereof, additional frame sections connected with said frames at the points of pivot to form box sections, members about which said frames pivot journaled in said box sections, the upper portion of said second frame extending beyond said pivots, a seat pivotedly supported at the front portion on the ends of said upper portion, a transverse member fixedly secured to the rear portion of said seat extending beyond the sides and guided by said first frame for guiding said seat into the plane of said first frame upon folding, said member being notched at the ends, the upper ends of said additional frame sections connected with said first frame constituting supporting edges for receiving said notched ends to support said seat in an unfolded state.

4. In a folding chair construction, the combination with an outer frame of inwardly facing channel sections, of an inner frame pivoted to said outer frame and adapted to be folded into the outer frame, said outer frame including means presenting surfaces constituting supporting stops and locking surfaces, located within and spaced from the webs of said channel sections, a seat having one portion thereof supported on said inner frame, said seat having a transverse member freely received in and movable along said channel sections into supported engagement with that part of said means constituting said stops, and shoulder portions on said member freely engaging with that part of said means constiluting locking surfaces for restraining transverse spreading of said frame with said seat only in the unfolded state.

5. In a folding chair construction, the combination with an outer frame constituting the back portion and front legs, of an inner frame pivoted to said outer frame constituting the rear legs and adapted to be folded into the outer frame, a seat having the front portion pivotedly supported upon said inner frame, a transverse member connected rear portion of said seat, and locking shoulders located at the ends of said transverse member coacting with looking surfaces presented by said stops for restraining said outer frame against spreading, said shoulders and surfaces only interlocking with said seat in a supported state.

6. In a chair construction, the combination with an outer frame constituting the back portion and front legs, of an inner frame pivoted to said outer frame constituting the rear legs and adapted to be folded into the outer frame, a seat having the front portion pivotally supported upon said inner frame, a transverse member connected with the rear portion of said seat coacting with and freely movable along said outer frame for guiding said seat into the plane thereof, said outer frame including means presenting surfaces constituting supporting stops and locking surfaces, parts of said transverse member adjacent the ends thereof engaging that part of said means constituting said stops to support the rear portion of said'seat, and means located at the ends of said transverse member and coacting with that part of said first mentioned means constituting locking surfaces for restraining said outer frame against spreading, said last mentioned means being freely hooked over said part constituting locking surfaces only at the time the chair is unfolded.

HENRY O. KLEE. 

